[seul-edu] Linux in schools

[gringey@sendit.sendit.nodak.edu]

I am an 8th grade teacher at a small middle school in Fargo, ND.  We 
have purchases a new lab with 30 machines that are using Linux. I 
feel very lost. I have run an Apple lab for 12 years.  
 I would like to find a management program for my computer lab. I ran 
At Ease on my Macs and loved how students could login from any 
computer and saved their work on the server.  Does Linux have a 
program that is similiar?  I need a keyboarding program appropriate 
for 6-8 graders and any other software that is available that would 
be good for middle school use. We will be using StarOffice5.2.
 Are we premature in establishing a lab in Linux?  I do not want to 
have a lab that the average teacher is afraid to bring a class to to 
work or research.
Thanks for any encouragement you can offer.  I am in over my head!!!